Rose Bowl matches similar teams in Stanford, Michigan State

STANFORD -- The 100th Rose Bowl features schools with sophomore quarterbacks and two of the country's most fearsome defenses.

Fourth-ranked Michigan State might not mirror No. 5 Stanford the way Wisconsin did in the 2013 Rose Bowl, but it sure comes close.

"They parallel a lot of things we believe in," Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said Sunday, a day after Michigan State defeated Ohio State 34-24 to win the Big Ten championship.

The Cardinal (11-2) will face a program Jan. 1 in Pasadena with similar qualities and styles as the Big Ten champion Spartans personify old-school Midwestern football.

Those who like 52-51 shootouts might consider tuning out.

Michigan State (12-1) has allowed an average of 12.7 points per game this season while holding six opponents to fewer than 10 points.

The Spartans also lead the country in run defense with only 2.7 yards per carry.

Stanford has allowed 18.6 points per game with a senior-led defense that has been the team's most dominant feature.

"People who appreciate real football will love this game," Stanford coach David Shaw said the day after his team defeated Arizona State 38-14 to win the Pac-12 championship.

Shaw has been part of the resurrection of Stanford football that began with Jim Harbaugh's regime. The program was built on the premise that solid defense and a power running game will prevail over fast-paced spread offenses.

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Michigan State has enjoyed a similar recipe to success.

"You're going to see two of the better defensive teams that play fast, that play physical, that you see 11 guys run to the ball," Shaw said. "This is going to be tough sledding. It's going to go all the way down to the end."

Stanford star linebacker Shayne Skov, who made a big stop Saturday night to end an Arizona State scoring threat in the third quarter, expects a tight game in Pasadena.

He reasons that Stanford and Michigan State are sound schematically and don't make a lot of mistakes.

"When you have two teams with that style, it's always going to be relatively close," Skov said.

Both schools also are rising football powers.

Stanford is the country's only program that will appear in its fourth consecutive BCS game. Not even Alabama and Oregon can make the claim,

Michigan State has won 11 games in three of the past four years and is making its first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1988.

After a 13-year absence, Stanford is playing in consecutive Rose Bowls for the first time since 1970-71.

Senior linebacker A.J. Tarpley suffered a concussion Saturday night when he collided with teammate Ed Reynolds. Shaw expects Tarpley to play in the Rose Bowl.

Shaw plans to give the players a week off to complete finals and recharge their bodies. The break will allow running back Tyler Gaffney "to feel like a human being for the next 10 days or so," Shaw said. "For our linemen, every single play is a physical collision."

Skov can tell the difference from the first time he played against Arizona State on Sept. 21 to Saturday night's title game in Tempe, Ariz.

But he feels for his teammates, especially Gaffney.

"They're not just gently placing him on the ground," Skov said. "He is getting whacked. But he'll never miss a practice."